Faye Wong
The Basics * Chinese Name: 王菲 * Pinyin: Wáng Fēi * Jyutping: Wong4 Fei1 * English Name: Faye Wong * Birth Name: 夏琳 (Xià Lín) * Birthdate: 8 August 1969 * Birthplace: Beijing, PRC * Also Known As: 王靖雯, Wong Ching Man, Wang Jingwen, Shirley Wong, Faye Wang * Record Labels: Cinepoly/Decca, EMI, Sony Music Entertainment * Major Label Debut: 1989 * Spouses: Dou Wei (1996-1999), Li Yapeng (2005-present) * Children: Dou Jingtong (b. 1997), Li Yan (b. 2005) Faye Wong (王菲), born Xia Lin (夏琳) in Bejing on August 8th 1969, is a Chinese singer, songwriter, actress, and model. She is popular all over southeast Asia, and known by some in the west as the singer of "Eyes On Me," from the Squaresoft RPG Final Fantasy VIII, or as Faye from Wong Kar-Wai's film Chungking Express. As of March 2000, Faye Wong had the Best-Selling Cantopop Female record according to Guinness Book, with over 97 Million albums sold. Biography (Much of this information is taken straight from Wikipedia. Any help rewriting this section would be appreciated.) Faye was originally named Xia Lin, adopting her mother's maiden name. Due to her paternal grandfather's role as a congressman, the Wang side of the family was persecuted during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. At the age of 15, several years after the turmoil ended, her name was changed to Wang Fei (王菲). She recorded several low-budget albums, consisting mostly of covers (particularly of Theresa Teng songs) during her high school years. In 1987, she moved with her family to Hong Kong, not being able to speak a word of Cantonese at the time, and began her musical career after a brief stint as a mode. She signed a contract with Cinepoly Records and released three original studio albums under the stage name "Shirley Wong Ching-Man" (王靖雯). While they did include new and original material, the strongest songs and biggest hits ended up being covers of songs from American and Japanese artists. As a result, these albums attracted little attention and a lukewarm response from critics. Frustrated with her career direction, she decided to take some time off in 1991 and travel to New York City for vocal studies and cultural exchange. This brief hiatus would prove to be important for her artistic development. A year after returning to Hong Kong, she burst into the spotlight with her 1992 album Coming Home, which featured the name Faye Wong Ching-Man instead of Shirley. The song "Fragile Woman", originally composed by the Japanese singer-songwriter Miyuki Nakajima and sung by Naomi Chiaki, became a No. 1 radio hit, Song of the Year at several musical awards, and finally lifted her to HK stardom. In 1992-93 she also starred in TVB shows such as Files of Justice II (壹號皇庭II) and Legendary Ranger (原振俠). In February 1993, the ballad "No Regrets" (執迷不悔), which Faye herself wrote the lyrics for, became the title track to her album No Regrets. No Regrets features soft contemporary numbers, a few dance tracks and two versions of the title ballad: Wong's Mandarin version, and a Cantonese version (lyrics by Chen Shao Qi). Her next album 100,000 Whys (September 1993) showed considerable alternative music influences from the West, prominently displayed by her cover of "Silent All These Years" by Tori Amos, the popular "Cold War" (冷戰). Faye has named the Scottish post-punk group Cocteau Twins among her favorite bands, and their influence was clear on her next Cantonese album, Random Thoughts (胡思亂想). Her Cantonese version of The Cranberries' "Dreams" was featured in Chungking Express. Besides covering songs and learning distinctive vocal techniques, Wong recorded her own compositions "Pledge" (誓言), co-written with then-husband Dou Wei, and her first and only spoken-word song "Exit" (出路), which expresses some of her pessimism about the future. Besides two Cantonese albums in 1994, Wong released two other albums in Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan, Mystery (迷) and Sky (天空), both under her legal name, "Faye Wang Fei" (王菲) which she would use for every release from 1995 on. The runaway hit "I'm Willing" (我願意) from Mystery became her trademark hit in the Mandarin-speaking communities for years, and has been covered by other singers such as Gigi Leung, Sammi Cheng and Jay Chou. Sky was seen by fans as a successful amalgam of artistic experimentation and commercialism. While her hits in Hong Kong were noticeably alternative, her two Mandarin albums were more lyrical and traditional. Critics generally credit Taiwanese producer Yang Ming-huang for their success. Four best-selling albums in Cantonese and Mandarin, a record-breaking 18 consecutive concerts in Hong Kong, and a widely acclaimed film (Chungking Express) made Faye Wong the most eminent female Hong Kong singer in the mid-1990s. Meanwhile, her distaste for the profit-oriented HK entertainment industry became more and more apparent. She was frequently in touch with the rock circle in Beijing. Given her somewhat reticent and nonchalant personality, she would sometimes give terse, direct, and somewhat unexpected answers when asked personal questions by the HK media. In 1995, she released The Decadent Sounds of Faye (菲靡靡之音), a cover album of songs originally recorded by her idol Teresa Teng, one of the most revered Chinese singers of the 20th century. A duet with Teng was planned for the album, but unfortunately Teng passed away before this could be recorded. Decadent Sounds sold well despite initial negative criticism, and has come to be recognised as an example of imaginative covering by recent critics. In December, she released her Cantonese album Di-Dar which mixes an alternative yodeling style with a touch of Indian and Middle Eastern flavor. This album was a success, partly because it was so different from the mainstream Cantopop music, but—ironically—a couple of very traditional romantic songs topped the charts. 1996 saw the release of what many would consider her boldest and most artistically coherent effort to date, Restless (浮躁). This was her last full album with Cinepoly, and Wong felt she could take more artistic risks. The album contains mainly her own compositions, with an aesthetic inspired by the Cocteau Twins, who penned two original songs for the album, "Fracture" (分裂) and "Spoilsport" (掃興). As Wong had covered their work in 1994, she had established a remote working relationship with them—even laying down vocals for a special duet version of "Serpentskirt" on the Asian release of the group's 1996 album, Milk And Kisses. Although the album was Wong's personal favorite, the response from Hong Kong and Taiwan was less supportive. Many fans who enjoyed her previous three Mandarin albums turned their back on Restless, which they considered to be too alternative and self-absorbed. However, hardcore fans, known as Fayenatics, adored the album and it became a cult hit. Wong has not released another fully artistic album since. In 1996-97, she recorded ten original songs in Cantonese all written by lyricist Lin Xi and various composers, such as Wong Ka Keung, Adrian Chan, and Chan Xiao Xia, before her departure from Cinepoly. After her contract with Cinepoly expired, the company released eight of these songs in the two subsequent EPs entitled Toy (玩具) and Help Yourself (自便). Although the EPs contained new songs—ballad hits like "Undercurrent" (暗湧), "Date" (約定), and "On Time" (守時)—and were welcomed by fans, they received lukewarm critical responses. The remaining two songs were included in later compilations. Wong signed for the recording giant EMI in 1997 after her first daughter was born, in a contract worth 60 million Hong Kong dollars (approx. 7.7 million US dollars), to release 55 songs in 5 albums. While most of her earlier albums were sung in Cantonese, Wong has since sung almost exclusively in Mandarin, her mother tongue, although she recorded Cantonese versions of a couple of songs in each of her last four albums with EMI to please her Hong Kong audience. Having gone through a period of experimentation, Wong stated that she wished to make "music that I like. I do not care if others don't, though I would be delighted if they do". Her first album with EMI was Faye Wong (1997), released in autumn 1997. Critics expecting another artistic breakthrough after 1996's Restless found – much to their dismay – a much more inoffensive and commercially oriented musical album. Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins wrote two original compositions for the album, but only one, "Amusement Park" (娛樂場), was used. This release included an acoustic cover of the Cocteau Twins' "Rilkean Heart", renamed "Nostalgia" (懷念). This album is filled with feelings of lethargy, languor and disengagement, yet most of the tracks sound warm and sweet. Reporters noticed that she began to smile more often in public and was not as icy or aloof as before. However, the album was released during the Asian financial crisis which swept East and Southeast Asia. Wong's old company Cinepoly, which retains the copyright on her previous records, released a Mandarin compilation at the same time in 1997 to counteract her new EMI album (and indeed outperformed it). Later, Cinepoly would release two compilations each year to compete with Faye's new releases, a tactic which has come under fire from her international fans. Faye Wong did not sell well in Hong Kong, but did quite well in Taiwan and mainland China. Although Wong had garnered some popularity with her 4 previous Mandarin albums, it was really this sweet yet slightly alternative album which had the Mainland Chinese audience listening. Her profile began to rise sharply in Asia. At the beginning of 1998, Wong was invited to sing a duet "Meet in '98" (相約一九九八) with personal friend Na Ying (那英), a prominent mainland pop singer, at the 1998 Spring Festival Gala show hosted by CCTV. Scenic Tour (唱遊) was released in October, and contained four songs composed by Faye: the opening track "Emotional Life", "Face", "A Little Cunning" and "Tong". Amongst other songs were "Give Up Halfway", which was one of the more commercially successful tracks from the album, along with the successful ballad "Red Bean" (紅豆). Early in 1999, Pepsi made Wong a spokesperson. In March, she held two concerts in Nippon Budokan; she was the first Chinese singer to perform in that venue. After these concerts, she shot the promotional music video for "Spectacular" (精彩), which Pepsi used in commercials. The album Only Love Strangers (只愛陌生人) was released in late September. This was her first album after she parted from her husband Dou Wei, and her first without any musical collaborations with him since their relationship began. The title track was featured in Sylvester Stallone's remake of Get Carter. Faye also became a spokesperson for JPhone in October, performing in several commercials which aired in Japan. Final Fantasy VIII, a video game released in Japan in February 1999, featured the song "Eyes On Me", sung in English by Wong. It was the first time that a Japanese video game featured a Chinese singer for its theme. The "Eyes On Me" single sold over 400,000 copies in Japan, winning "Song of the Year (Western Music)" at the 14th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards. Later that year, the game was released in North America. The theme for the game became very popular in the West for non-Asian and Asian gamers who were not familiar with her music. While it was not a mainstream hit in the West (she had no desire to explore these markets), she did find herself many onlookers, many of whom were able to expand their exposure with her other works. The new millennium saw a shift in Wong's musical career with the album Fable (寓言). The prominent feature of this album is its segregated and distinguishable halves – songs in the first half of the album running in an almost continuous manner and in a format that is akin to a song-cycle, and the second half of discrete, chart-friendly numbers. The album itself derives its artistic merits from the first half, notable for its unique thematic and continuous sequencing of songs unprecedented in the Chinese music industry. The theme itself is ambiguous and the lyrics subject to multiple interpretations, though it is quite certain that the theme of Fable forms the main thematic reference, derived from the motivic elements of the prince and princess in fables and fairy tales of European origins. Elements of spirituality, metaphysics and Buddhism hold an important place in the lyrics as well, penned by Lin Xi who has by then, been unanimously identified as Faye's lyricist par excellence. Musically the arrangements display influences of drum and bass, electronica, east-west collage and lush string orchestral infusions. Her other activities during this year included the Pepsi promotional duet and music video of "Galaxy Unlimited" with Aaron Kwok, the filming of Okinawa Rendezvous, as well as several concerts in China and Taiwan. By this time, Faye had forged a famous alliance with producer/musician Zhang Ya Dong (張亞東) and lyricist Lin Xi, often referred to by the HK public as the 'iron triangle'. However, due to Zhang Ya Dong's unavailability during this period (he was engaged on other projects), Faye decided to treat this last album with EMI as an experiment whereby she would collaborate with new producers/musicians/lyricists and 'see what their vision of her will be'. The response to "Faye Wong (2001)" from the public and critics alike were lukewarm at best. Faye herself admitted that she was not totally satisfied with some tracks, namely those produced by Taiwan 'father of rock' Wu Bai, which had an industrial flavor reminiscent of Karen Mok's 'Golden Flower' album. She cited the two folk-style songs written by Singaporean singer-song writer Tanya Chua as her favorite picks on her album. The song that generated most noise from the press turned out to be one penned by former love Nicholas Tse. While she was under contract with EMI and later Sony, she performed in the ensemble movie 2046 which had been in production since 1999 and finally wrapped in 2004. She performed at fund-raising concerts to benefit various charities, sang on tracks with other celebrities, and starred in a Japanese TV drama, Usokoi as well as the film Leaving Me Loving You with Leon Lai. The theme song for Usokoi, titled "Separate Ways", was released as a single; it was one of her few Japanese-language songs (another being "Valentine's Radio" for the album "The Queen's Fellows: Yuming 30th anniversary cover album"). She recorded several other solo non-album tracks, such as the eponymous hit theme song to the film Hero and a recitation of the Heart Sutra. For her Sony album To Love (將愛), released in November 2003, she recorded 13 tracks, 10 in Mandarin and 3 in Cantonese. Before the album's release, her Cantonese song "The Name of Love" (假愛之名), with lyrics by Lin Xi, was banned in some areas such as mainland China because the lyrics mentioned opium. The album became more successful than her previous self-titled album, both financially and critically. Afterwards, she held numerous successful concerts for over a year. On May 18, 2008 Wong performed publicly for the first time in over three years. She sang "Wishing We Last Forever" (但願人長久) near the end of the four-hour CCTV fundraising program for the 2008 Sichuan earthquake relief effort. However, one of her managers indicated that this appearance was only for charity and not an official return to showbusiness. Wong's stance on whether she will return at a future date remains ambiguous. In February 2009, her previous collaborator Zhang Yadong released his second music collaboration album titled Zhang Yadong - Underflow. The opening track is the first release of Faye Wong's jazzy pop song "I Love You", which she recorded as the theme for Zhang Yuan’s 2002 movie of the same name. In May 2009, Wong appeared in an Internet advertisement for a new brand of shampoo, sparking speculation that the advertisement marked the first step in a comeback by the singer. First marriage She fell in love with Dou Wei when collaborating with him musically. In June 1996, after being pregnant for several months, she married Dou. Their daughter, Dou Jingtong (竇靖童) was born on January 3, 1997. The paparazzi detected alienation between the two during Wong's concert tour of Japan in March 1999. Several days later, they caught Dou with another woman inside a restaurant in Beijing. Asked who she was, Dou immediately answered, "She is Gao Yuan (高原). My lover." Wong's enormous group of multinational fans maintained relentless attacks on Dou for a long time, but he declared that the divorce had been set up by a record company. Wong and her friends in Beijing have remained silent on the topic of this first marriage. Nicholas Tse In her first public romantic relationship after her failed marriage, Wong started dating young Hong Kong singer and actor Nicholas Tse, the city's leading "bad boy" celebrity, in June 2000. While this May-December romance (Wong is 11 years his senior) delighted local tabloids and gossip magazines, Wong's protective fan base were worried he would betray her in the end. In March 2002 local news media reported Tse had been secretly romancing Hong Kong actress and singer Cecilia Cheung. Not long after this affair was made public, Wong severed ties with Tse. However, after Tse's romance with Cheung ended in July 2002, Wong and Tse would resume an on-off relationship, until she met her current husband Li Yapeng in 2003. (Tse and Cheung later married in 2007.) Second marriage Relying on photos and other sources, the tabloid press reported that Wong began dating and subsequently became engaged to mainland television actor Li Yapeng. It remained a mere rumor until their wedding in 2005. Around the time of her wedding, her manager confirmed that she might take an indefinite break from the entertainment circle. Later that year, her Hong Kong agent confirmed Wong was pregnant with the couple's child. On May 27, 2006, Wong gave birth to her second daughter, Li Yan (李嫣), by caesarean section at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital. On Aug 12, Li published a thousand-word public online letter, "Gratitude", on his blog. The letter served as an outlet for their gratitude towards all concerned parties, and confirmed rumors their daughter was born with a congenital cleft lip. Due to the severity of Li Yan's cleft, the special reconstructive surgeries she needed were not available in China. The couple has since established the Smile Angel Foundation to assist children with clefts. Media Chinese Albums * 1985.03 Mi Ren De Ka Le (迷人的卡勒; Enchanting Kaler) * 1985.06 Feng Cong Na Li Lai (風從哪裡來; Where Does the Wind Come From?) * 1986.04 Mi Ren Xiao Jie (迷人小姐; Miss Charm) * 1986.06 Fen Shou (分手; Parting) * 1986.07 Deng Li Jun Gu Xiang Qing (鄧麗君故鄉情; Theresa Teng's Hometown Love) * 1989.11 Wong Ching Man (王靖雯; Shirley Wong) * 1990.06 Everything * 1990.12 You're The Only One * 1992.08 Coming Home * 1993.02 Zap Mai Bat Fui (執迷不悔; No Regrets) * 1993.09 Sap Maan Go Wai Sam Mo (十萬個為什麼; 100,000 Whys) * 1994.04 Mi (迷; Mystery) * 1994.06 Wu Si Lyun Soeng (胡思亂想; Random Thoughts) * 1994.11 Tian Kong (天空; Sky) * 1994.12 Tou Hou Zi Gei (討好自己; Satisfy Myself) * 1995.09 Fei Mi Mi Zhi Yin (菲靡靡之音; Faye's Decadent Music) * 1995.12 Di-Dar * 1996.07 Fu Zao (浮躁; Restless) * 1997.09 Faye Wong (王菲; Faye Wong) * 1998.10 Chang You (唱遊; Scenic Tour) * 1999.09 Zhi Ai Mo Sheng Ren (只愛陌生人; Only Love Strangers) * 2000.10 Yu Yan (寓言; Fable) * 2001.10 Faye Wong (王菲; Faye Wong) * 2003.11 Jiang Ai (將愛; To Love) Chinese EPs * 1993.12 Yu Foong (如風; Like Wind) * 1994.05 Faye Disc * 1995.09 Jat Jan Fan Sik Loeng Gok (一人分飾兩角; One Person, Two Roles) * 1997.02 Wun Geoi (玩具; Toy) * 1997.05 Zi Bin (自便; Help Yourself) Chinese Compilations As Faye has an exhaustive collection of compilations, this is not meant to be a complete list. Only compilations with new tracks, special packaging, or other notable features will be listed. * 1987 Zhen Zang Ji (珍藏集; Faye Wong Collection) * 1991 Shirley Once More * 1994.02 Zui Fei (最菲; Faye Best) * 1997.09 Fei Mai Pin (菲賣品; Faye (Not) For Sale) * 1998.12 Faye Wong Party Mix * 1999.09 Fei Gan Qing Sheng Huo (菲感情生活; Life) * 2001.05 Wang Fei Yin Yue He (王菲音樂盒; faye*instrumental) * 2002.08 Faye Best * 2003.09 Wang Fei 2CD Jing Xuan + DVD (王菲2CD精選+DVD; Faye Wong 2 CD Selection + DVD) * 2004.06 Sound & Vision Deluxe * 2005.06 The 1st Complete Collection of Faye Wong * 2009.06 Ah Fei Zheng Chuan (阿菲正傳; The True Story of Faye) Live Albums * 1995.01 Wang Fei Zui Jing Cai De Yan Chang Hui(王菲最精彩的演唱會; Faye Wong Live in Concert) * 1999.12 Chang You Da Shi Jie Wang Fei Xiang Gang Yan Chang Hui (唱遊大世界王菲香港演唱會98-99; Faye Wong HK Scenic Tour 98-99) * 2004.11 Fei Bi Xun Chang LIVE! (菲比尋常LIVE!; Faye Wong Live!) Japanese Singles * 1999.02.24 Eyes On Me * 2001.07.25 Separate Ways Japanese Compilations * 1999.08 Ballad Collection * 2001.10 Muchuujin - Greatest Hits (夢中人 Greatest Hits) * 2002.06 The Best Of Best Videography * 1993 Faye MTV & Karaoke (2xLD) * 1994 Fayevourite Karaoke 2 (2xLD) * 1995 Di-Dar 999 (Faye Wong + Samuel Tai)(LD) * 1995 Di-Dar Karaoke (VCD) * 1995 Faye Wong Live in Concert (DVD, LD) * 1996 Faye 'Willing' (VCD) * 1996 Faye Wong Live in Concert Karaoke Vol. 1 (VCD) * 1997 Faye 'Pledge' (VCD) * 1997 Faye Wong Live in Concert Karaoke Vol. 2 (VCD) * 1997 Faye & Kelly's Party (2xVCD, DVD) * 1999 The Best of Faye Wong DVD Karaoke (DVD) * 1999 Faye MV Karaoke (VCD, DVD) * 1999.12 The Best of Faye Wong (DVD, VHS) (Japan-only Release) * 2000 Zhi Ai Mo Sheng Ren (VCD, DVD, LD) * 2000 Yu Yan + Hits (VCD, DVD) * 2000 The Best of Faye Wang (VCD) * 2000 Faye HK Scenic Tour 98-99 Karaoke (DVD, VCD) * 2004 Faye Wong Live! (VCD, DVD, LD) * 2004 All-In (VCD, DVD) * 2004 Faye Wong Japan Concert (VCD, DVD) Filmography * 2004 2046 * 2004 Leaving Me Loving You (大城小事) * 2002 Chinese Odyssey 2002 (天下無雙) * 2000 Okinawa Rendez-vous (戀戰沖繩) * 1994 Chungking Express (重慶森林) * 1991 Beyond's Diary (BEYOND日記之莫欺少年窮) TV Series * 2001 Usokoi ウソコイ (KTV Japan) * 1994 Modern Love Story IV: Three Equals One Love (愛情戀曲IV: 愛情3加1) (TVB) * 1993 Eternity (千歲情人) (TVB) * 1993 Legendary Ranger (原振俠) (TVB) * 1992 The Files of Justice II (壹號皇庭II) (TVB) * 1991 Bie Ji (別姬) (TVB) Commercials * 1994 Just Gold * 1996 Virgin Airlines * 1997 Motorola * 1999 Pepsi ("Wish" campaign) * 1999 J-Phone * 2000 Pepsi ("Ask For More" campaign) * 2000 Head & Shoulders * 2005 Jovell * 2009 Royal Wind External links * Faye Wong Today - feifan's fan site * All About Ah Faye - Stefan's fan site * Flash of Color - Haley's fan site * 唱遊王菲天與地 - Cecilia's Fan Site